1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a method of producing materials comprising the periodic table group III-V elements by the reduction of a precursor material.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Various III-V materials, including indium phosphide, gallium arsenide, etc., are widely used for semiconductor devices, optical waveguide devices, etc. These materials are typically formed by the direct reaction of the elements in a sealed system at high temperatures. Vapor phase reactions can also be used; for example, InP can be prepared by reacting InCl.sub.3 and PH.sub.3 in the vapor phase. In another case, metallic In can be reacted with flowing PH.sub.3 to yield InP. Also, In.sub.2 O.sub.3 can be reacted with PH.sub.3 at high temperature to obtain InP. Gallium arsenide is typically prepared by similar reactions between metallic gallium and elemental arsenic, or compounds comprising arsenic, such as AsH.sub.3.
In some cases, these reactions tend to be rather slow. For example, gallium and indium when melted tend to form a skin which slows down the reaction. The reactions involving reacting a metal with a vapor also tend to be rather slow. In addition, since the PH.sub.3 or AsH.sub.3 are very toxic, they are difficult to handle, leading to increased expense for these reactions. It is therefore desirable to find alternate methods of obtaining III-V materials.